have you hit rock bottom yet

For those of you dealing with a serious life issue, often you need to hit such a low point with the issue for you to finally decide “enough is enough”.

For an alcoholic that could be a serious bender, accident or blackout, and for someone dealing with depression it is an equal low. Perhaps it’s weeks of chronic fatigue with overwhelming feelings of sadness and isolation. For someone with a money issue it could be that final call from a collection agency.

Have you hit rock bottom yet?

there is good news

There is only one way to go…that’s up.

Sometimes you need the reality and shock to turn your life around. Everyone has it inside them to take proactive measures that will resolve an issue. There is help out there. There are always answers and solutions.

It will be a tough uphill battle but with each action you will feel a little bit better. Stronger. Closer to your goal. You will be building strength and character along the way. Virtues you can apply to other facets of your life.

why wait until you hit rock bottom

For some, a drastic event is the only thing that will encourage you to change. That’s too bad, because there are many things you can do to prevent it and improve your situation now. You need to think about the consequences of your actions in life now. Not later. Your life doesn’t need to fall apart before you make the necessary changes!

making changes now

Instead of complaining and looking for miracles start doing something about it. You have a choice and if you continue to ignore your problems you are failing to learn from the events in your life. Failure is really an opportunity to seize life. After all you generally can turn around any situation. The sooner you start, the easier it will be.

If you are having a debt issue it’s time to stop spending, review your cash flow, call your creditors, get rid of the stuff you purchased, work out better terms and start paying off some debt. If you are depressed you need to look for resources to help with your depression.

For all health issues your doctor is the best place to start.

Look for those support groups and resources to get back on track. Take it in steps, common advice but little success are motivating and will help you achieve bigger ones.

You don’t have to hit rock bottom to turn your life around. Start looking now for the solution to your life obstacle.

11 Responses to have you hit rock bottom yet

[...] side to finding ones self in this situation is the knowledge that if it has not happened already, hitting rock bottom is a certainty and not too far away. At that moment the choices become very clear. Either continue [...]

I want to share with you about what i’m going through about the circustances about rock bottom and I want you to share with me after you finished reading it.

I lived a good life being younger even tho my parents split up when I was 3. I had good and bad different groups of friends. I got influenced smoking pot in grade 6, and then influenced drinking alchohal in grade 7. I did get expelled. Grade 8 I was being sent to the office almost 3 times a day from being a clown in my class to the point I got 32 detentions and 3 suspentions smoking weed on the playgrounds. I did get sent to an alternate school. I met the wrong croud of friends in the alternate school I was 15 in grade 9. I started to drink with them and smoke ciggarets and weed. at 16 I was in grade 10 by then. I got sent to the drunk tank 14 times that year and 2 really bad assalts. I dropped out of school. 17 I became sucidal under the influence and started doing heavier drugs. Now I’m 18 I quit smoking weed, I’m taking anti depression pills, I feel so lost, I don’t kno who my friends are. My dads depressed and over weight and takes situations to hard on me. I’m worried he might have a heart attack or a stroke. My moms an alcholic and takes my situations to lightley and was really never their for me. I’m worried she might crash. Me and my brothers have never been 2 close. I just have never felt living at the lowest possible level in my life.

At 43 I’ve seen my share of issues and the one thing I can say is “I wish I had taken treatment earlier”. There are many forms and it will take a long time to work them all out but the sooner you start, the quicker you will be able to find a life you deserve. A happy one. Find a support group and stick with it…anger and depression are no fun and they cost a lot, not just to you, but to the ones you love too.

While I would love to see your family take care of their issues too, the only person you can be responsible for is you. People are in your corner. I’m in your corner too. Be well and please feel free to ask anything specific if you want some direction.

P.S. Just back from a couple weeks of vacation so I didn’t get to comments until today.

I am not quite at rock bottom but it seems I am headi ng there.I have lots of anger in me it is driving the people I love away from me,my girlfriend has already left me,believe me she hung in for quite a while.I have never hurt her but she felt like that was next.Ive been drinking way too much and that just makes it worse.I need help but dont know how to go about it.What should I do?

Mark…I empathize with your situation. I too have pushed away friends and loved ones in my time. Perhaps, I still do but I am aware of the world around me now. Life has a way of heading in the direction we take. Each of us has choices and each action gets a certain result. I’m not sure what is causing your plummet to “rock bottom” but professional help is a step in the right direction.

You have to find the root of your problems and it will probably take several years to resolve.

I’m not sure where you are located but local community groups and doctors can point you in the right direction. Perhaps you even need to go to AA but make sure you get long term treatment to find the cause of the issues and to learn how to deal with the anger effectively.

Just being aware and admitting you have a problem with anger is several steps in the right direction. Following through will get you a long way and it takes courage and strength. Know that people are around that can help you thrive and survive.

Like Mark Streeter, I am not quite at rock bottom, but I feel that I`m heading in that direction.

I`m a 50 year old male with serious co-dependency issues who has practiced people-pleasing and perfectionism for decades to get to this point of my life. I`ve never had a clear vision of where my career is going as an IT professional and have constantly looked to others for direction instead of listening to myself.

I now find myself unemployed with credit card debt and a condo mortgage that I can`t afford. I`m going to setup a meeting with some credit counsellors to deal with the money situations and am living day to day in an anxious depressed haze waiting for feedback from job interviews.

What concerns me more about bouncing back from rock bottom is I`m afraid I won`t learn any new lessons from this experience and continue to `float“ through life as I currently am.

In a nutshell, I don`t know what I want to do with my life and I`m painfully aware of it.

Mark…recognizing that you need to change things is the first and hardest step. Realize that it will take time to make those changes. Do not overwhelm yourself. Commit to changing (and succeed at) one thing before you move on to the next.

Adam Baker @ Man vs. Debt has what I consider to be one of the best options. Embracing simplicity is also a good start. I took that route over a decade ago…while I still carry a debt, I am able to manage it and every month move towards freedom. Cash flow and income is my current limitation but each day I get up and work on it. The point is…all of us can do that.

Credit counselling is a good start. I don’t know where you live but I would encourage you to find a therapist and commit to at least 5 years to really take care of the issues. In Ontario, Canada this is covered by our healthcare and contrary to what people believe there are many free options in all of North America and the rest of the globe.

Find a FREE support group that offers you guidance too.

As an IT professional you should have some ability to find the right type of work. Maybe you need to convert your “soft skills” into something you are passionate about. Finding your passion and calling is one answer to “starting to feel good about life”. Consider following Peter Clemens at The Change Blog to find some more purpose and change. If you want to figure out what really gives you purpose try this exercise on how to discover your passion in 20 minutes by Steve Pavlina. It took me a couple days and over 12 hours but…it does help you focus on it.

Remember…I’m not a counselor. I’m not a doctor. I’m not an expert at anything…I’ve simply experience the sum total of many life events and have overcome rock bottom, depression, debt (at least the spending side of it), abuse, adoption attachment, divorce and various life obstacles…so I can relate and give people direction.

If you (or anyone) personally have specific questions…I am always here to answer them. Send an email directly to community AT simplystephen DOT ca with the subject NO MORE ROCKBOTTOM and I will offer you what support, resources and tools I have available.

Again…hang tough. You are not alone. There are always people available to help. Solutions take time but are available. Oh…do something simple (and free) that you enjoy today. Try making someone else smile or be happy, wave to a child, compliment someone. That always puts life in perspective.

I have hit rock bottom, abused as a child, drugs, alcohol, family loss x 3 over 8 months, abusive partner, botched marriage, low self esteem, anger issues, legal problems due to alcoholic rage. Can it get any worse? In my life , NO!

Well Howard…I’m sorry to hear about your struggles but very pleased to hear you are aware of it and are obviously seeking help by reading about solutions.

Finding the root of the problem should be your long term goal. In the meantime if you can pick one little action or area to improve, making progress, any progress will help build your esteem and give you momentum to get yourself up and feeling good about life. It will take work and effort but you will need a team of friends, family or community to help you get there. Keep looking for those local groups (and online) to give you the support you need.

If you have any specific questions, I’m always ready to listen…when I update the site, which is usually 3 or 4 times a month.

from weed to coke to meth to crack and back again.
an unexpected journey…
failed marriage
all my dreams unrealized and i cant help but feel its to late.
unhappy with my career and cant make ends meet.
42 years old and still stuck in that rut.
just want to make a fresh start.